Ruja Ignatova - ‘crypto queen’ co-founder Karl Greenwood pulls 20 years

Karl Greenwood, 46, co-founder of the fraudulent OneCoin cryptocurrency, a massive pyramid scheme that fleeced more than $4 billion from investors worldwide, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He pleaded pleaded guilty in December to wire fraud and money laundering. Greenwood was arrested in 2018. His partner in crime, Ruja Ignatova, 43, is on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted list and remains at large.

Ruja Ignatova knew about efforts to arrest her months before she vanished according to documents provided by Frank Schneider, a former spy and trusted adviser to Ignatova. Ignatova disappeared on 25 October 2017 after learning of a high level international cop meeting planning to take her down. Ignatova bugged an apartment belonging to her American boyfriend and learned he was cooperating with an FBI probe into OneCoin. She boarded a flight from Bulgaria to Greece and hasn't been seen since. Ruja Ignatova, Sebastian Greenwood, and Konstantin Ignatov launched Onecoin in 2014. It was a classic ponzi scheme. In late 2019, the remnants of Onecoin imploded. US prosecutors alleged the scheme brought in $4b world-wide.

Ruja Ignatova disappeared around the time a secret US warrant was filed for her arrest. Konstantin Ignatov was arrested in March 2019. In Nov 2019 he pleaded guilty to money laundering and fraud.